[Gamester17]

Elisa (The Fluendo mediacenter) is the new default media center software for Ubuntu choosen by the UbuntuMediaCenterTeam. So I thought, would it not be really cool to have a replica skin clone in XBMC of the default Elisa skin to show everyone out there that XBMC's own skinning-engine can easility match all their GUI effects just as well (or better). Elisa default skin and artwork doesn't look half bad either for that matter, hehe

Screenshots: http://elisa.fluendo.com/screenshots

Anyone up for the task?

PS! The core Elisa system is licensed under the GPL version 2, but I'm not sure if the skin and images/pictures are included in that, anyone care to check that?

[MacGyver]

Ok Gamester, unless someone has made it so you can have multiple wrapviews that can be pointed to folders and screens on the screen at one time, the ONLY way I can see being able to re-create that media centers look and feel, would be to display a wrapview or a side scrolling home view, then when select your icon, have the xbmc take a quick screenshot, then animate the next screens background with the screenshot you just took, and zoom it back, and then overlay the new windows wrapview over that screenshot. Make sense?

I think I can code it, but it wouldn't look right on anything but solid background colors, and there would be a flash, and a script would have to be called to keep clearing out the screenshot folder before the next screenshot, unless you can name a screenshot something specific as it's being created, then the script and needing to clear the screenshot folder would be unnecessary.

Is there another way?

[Gamester17]

I guess we have to ask JMarshall if it's worth implementing or not (via a permanent solution, workaround or other means)

[MacGyver]

I think it might be easier to ask him if it's possible to implement a type of list history, and then be able to tell list menus what to list (current, history1, history2) a list history would need keep track of the last focused item, and 10 in either direction.
It's the only way I can see doing it smoothly, plus it allows skinners to use say history1's focus item as a sort of previous folder variable.

Another idea that would need to be implemented is a 4-corner icon, video preview, and picture engine: TL=(0,0),TR=(0,200),LL=(200,0),LR=(200,200) would be your standard square icon. and TL=(100,100),TR=(120,200),LL=(200,100),LR=(180,200) would be an icon similar to the ones used in their preview window (skewed at an angle)

Also the ability to switch to a window.xml with a <ondown> or <onup> .

I think with those features, XBMC could be skinned to be almost exact, minus ipod support

If you want, I can code something similar in spirit, but can't do the skewed pictures, or exact menu stacking (I can see a way to give you the home menu stacked back).

[jmarshall]

The window switching on down/up is already possible in some cases (using hidden buttons with <onfocus> tags for instance)

[Gamester17]

Elisa Media Center video videos:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3JM1Cfg_3Aw
http://youtube.com/watch?v=XXpw8hpJodo
http://youtube.com/watch?v=JjfA6hp5K3M
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DKCNzdfq9ZI
http://youtube.com/watch?v=d2Kaq4z6400
http://youtube.com/watch?v=w__X5za2r2E
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-MK5PMeoxqI
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qhgnYMWO3Wc
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=lD6fd9iydWo

...maybe this feature request really belongs in the skinning section though?

[Livin]

The interface looks pretty decent, the animations are very nice! I'd love to see some of the navigation and animations integrated into PM3. They would optimize the screen real estate better.

[El Piranna]

It remember to me to the old Apple FrontRow before appleTV come out to earth... :p

[Gamester17]

I'd love to see some of the navigation and animations integrated into PM3.

I'm not so sure any of those animations suits PM3, IMHO Elisa should be its own skin if made for XBMC

[Gamester17]

BUMP! Any volunteer(s)?

[djh_]

Can XBMC actually display those folder hierarchies on the top left of each media window?

[Jeroen]

Can XBMC actually display those folder hierarchies on the top left of each media window?

Sort of. Not by default but you could simulate it with (lots) of conditions.
something like

library label>category label>tv show label>season label>
pita though, cause there's no conditionals for things like genre and years so you would have to work around that some way.

[Gamester17]

I do not actually know, ...some skinning-engine enhancements to XBMC might be required during the process of making a such skin but it does also not have to be an exact replica (just as the xTV skin is not an exact replica of the Apple TV, and MC360 is not an exact replicate for the Xbox 360 GUI, they are more like clones which act as a 'tribute' and as such can even contain improvement over the original in some features/functions).

I know that the Carousel Home Menu (Rotating/Circular Animation Effect) is doable at least, see:
http://www.xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=26877
and:
http://www.xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=28149

there's no conditionals for things like genre and years so you would have to work around that some way.

Feel free to make suggestions if XBMC skinning-engine can be improved, ...it does not hurt to ask.

[Geeba]

Its very nice!!! By the look of it (I dont know ins and outs) it could run on the good'ol 733Mhz/64Mb RAM machine too!

[Jeroen]

Feel free to make suggestions if XBMC skinning-engine can be improved, ...it does not hurt to ask.

Yes, I was thinking of doing that and some related suggestions. I will be posting it when I have some time to write a proper suggestion.